


Bonfire Nights

by HansonPhreek



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Beltane, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 22:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14342685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HansonPhreek/pseuds/HansonPhreek
Summary: Harry attends his first ever Beltane bonfire and has an unexpected night. He’s sure that it means something important but it takes another two years for him to figure it out.





	Bonfire Nights

**Title:** Bonfire Nights  
 **To:** The wonderful participants in the 2018 fest  
 **Author:** Anonymous

 **Pairing/Threesome:** Harry/Draco  
 **Rating:** PG  
 **Warnings:** * None *  
 **Story notes:** None  
 **Word count:** ~2,500  
 **Summary:** Harry attends his first ever Beltane bonfire and has an unexpected night. He’s sure that it means something important but it takes another two years for him to figure it out.  
 **Disclaimer:** Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This was created for fun, not for profit.  
 **Betaed by:** Our amazing mod, , who stepped up when I was unable to find a beta on my own.  
 **Author's Note:** I had so much trouble writing this fic, lol. I started it three different times before I got this one written. I loved your requests so much that I wanted to put everything in. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to due to time constraints, but I got as much as I could in. And in the end, I’m super happy with what I got done. I hope you enjoy!

* * * *

* * * *

* * * *

Harry had never heard of Beltane before receiving an invitation to a bonfire a few years after Voldemort’s defeat. He quickly asked Hermione about it and regretted this action immediately when she launched into a full-fledged lecture about the history of the festival. After managing to sit through her talk, he nonetheless decided to go. It would be a nice distraction from his days filled with, well honestly, nothing. So on May 1st, Harry headed off to a night of promised fun.

He arrived a few minutes late and took a moment to orient himself to his surroundings. 

He was surrounded by trees but could see a large clearing only a few feet away. 

Through the trees he could see the dancing flames of a large bonfire. He stepped into the clearing and quickly located his two best mates. Ron immediately handed him a glass of firewhiskey.

“Cheers,” Harry chuckled before downing the drink. He surveyed the sights, watching as people danced and laughed around the fire. As he looked on, a pair of attendees with hands linked wandered off into the woods. Ron placed another drink in his hands before being dragged off by Hermione towards a group of dancers Harry could tell were their friends.

“You coming, mate?” Ron called out to him.

“In a bit,” Harry responded.

Harry made his way around the outskirts of the gathering, watching the people there. He knew a fair few of them, but there were some he did not. He sipped at his drink, enjoying the burn but not wanting to get pissed. Yet. Several people called out to him, encouraging him to join them, but he refused. Politely, he hoped. He didn’t want to annoy anyone, he just wanted to watch for a while longer.

The sight of a familiar white-blond head stopped him in his tracks. He stood there transfixed by the sight of his one-time rival dancing alone in the firelight. He’d always known Draco was graceful (anyone who’d seen the bloke play Quidditch knew this) but he seemed to have forgotten just _how_ graceful he was in the few years since he’d last seen the other man.

Something about Draco seemed to call out to Harry and his empty firewhiskey glass slipped from his fingers as he moved closer to the bonfire. He approached the other man slowly, but confidently. He didn’t know why, but he knew that this was exactly what he was meant to be doing. When he was only a few feet away, Draco turned and their eyes met. 

Draco stopped his movement. “Scarhead,” he said, with no trace of the usual venom.

Harry smiled. “Ferret.” He reached out to the other man and pulled him closer. This spurred them both into action and they danced together around the flame without speaking for a long time. Harry wasn’t sure exactly how long this continued. When they became thirsty Draco led him to the drinks table where they both drank firewhiskey. Harry couldn’t tell if he was getting dizzy because of the drinks or the dancing but he didn’t want to stop.

Around them more pairs wandered off into the surrounding woods until eventually it was just the two of them dancing. Draco stopped suddenly, arms wrapped tightly around Harry’s waist. They laughed breathlessly together, Harry’s fingers curled into the hair on the back of Draco’s neck. Harry leaned in slowly, his eyes closing.

“You shouldn’t,” Draco breathed.

Harry’s eyes flew open. “Why not?”

Draco smiled crookedly and brushed his fingers along Harry’s back. “I’m told I’m kind of an arsehole.”

Harry’s grin widened as he tightened his grip on Draco’s head. “Right, yeah, but you’re my kind of arsehole.” And before Draco could object he crashed their lips together in a searing kiss. As the rest of the night blurred together Harry realized that he might have had too much to drink.

* * * *

The sun rose bright the next morning. Harry rubbed his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was laying on the ground, surrounded by trees, and he could see the clearing where the fire had been just a short way away. Some of the night’s revelers were gathering there, holding steaming mugs of what Harry hoped was coffee. He stood up, wondering why Draco wasn’t still there, and was slightly relieved to find he was still mostly clothed. He found his missing shirt and shoes on a nearby stump.

As he slowly made his way to the clearing he tried to remember all that had happened the night before. All he could recall was blond hair, soft skin, and the smell of smoke. But he knew that whatever had happened was exactly what was meant to happen. He knew, from Hermione’s lecture, that the magic of Beltane was powerful and very compelling. But, also, that it _never_ put people together that weren’t compatible.

He roamed amongst the small knots of people, looking for his friends, but also for Draco. He saw Ron first and approached his best mates. Without a word, Hermione summoned a mug and handed it to him. He inhaled the strong aroma wafting from the cup deeply and smiled. “Morning,” he mumbled before tasting the coffee. Ron grunted in response; Harry knew Ron needed at least two cups in the morning before he could have a coherent conversation. Hermione simply smiled before drinking her own coffee.

He stood silently drinking for some time, refilling his mug with a mumbled spell when it emptied as he continued to watch for the man he spent the night with. He wanted to talk to Draco, to see where they would go from there. But he never saw that white-blond head or pointy face.

Soon people started to leave, off to return to work or their families and the real world. Ron and Hermione each hugged him before they, too, left. Harry finished his coffee and set off around the clearing one last time, still searching. He felt that he needed to talk to Draco after their night together. He needed to know what it meant. Needed to understand why Beltane thought they belonged together. He caught a flash of blond hair and his heart skipped a beat. But it was simply Luna, who was banishing empty glasses and mugs, cleaning up after the celebration.

Harry approached her with a smile. “Hey, Luna.”

“Oh, hi Harry,” she said, banishing another mug.

“Why are you cleaning?”

“I was hosting, you didn’t know?”

Harry chuckled lightly. “No. The invitation didn’t say.” Luna didn’t respond as she simply continued banishing items from around the clearing. Harry followed her as she went, wondering why he’d never thought to ask who the host was. After a few minutes he decided it must have had _something_ to do with the Beltane magic.

Then suddenly a thought occurred to him. “You invited Malfoy?” he asked in a confused tone.

Luna banished the last glass and smiled at him. “Yes.”

“But…why?”

Luna tilted her head slightly. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Harry’s jaw dropped slightly. He gestured helplessly as he tried to find the right words. “Uh, because…of…you know, everything…”

Luna blinked owlishly for a moment before shrugging. “He’s my friend now.”

“Oh.”

Luna began walking into the woods and after a moment Harry followed. “Did you have fun?” she asked as they walked.

“Huh?” Harry started slightly. “Oh, yeah. I think.” When Luna continued walking in silence he felt the need to explain. “I think I had too much firewhiskey. All I really remember is, well, Draco.”

Luna gave him her customary vague smile. “Beltane at its finest.”

They approached a small cottage then and she settled onto a bench by the door. Harry hesitated but when she patted the space next to her he sat down as well. “What do you mean?” he asked her.

She waved a hand in a way that added nothing to the conversation. “Oh, you know.”

And he did, of course. He frowned. “If you’re friends with him, can you tell me where he is now?”

“He was leaving for a potions apprenticeship this morning,” she told him. Harry looked at her hopefully. “In Russia.”

Harry’s face fell. “Oh.”

Luna didn’t seem to notice Harry’s change in mood. “He’ll be back next year.”

* * * *

Harry spent the next year doing what he’d spent the last few doing: drinking lots of coffee, wearing mainly joggers, eating too much pizza, and taking care of his one-eyed dog. He’d adopted the dog, whom he named Alcor, about six months after the war as a way to feel less lonely. All of his friends had started moving on with their lives by returning to school or getting a job and he’d suddenly been left with a lot of free time. He hadn’t felt as excited by the prospect of becoming an Auror after all he’d been through during that year on the run and wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself. So when he permanently moved into Grimmauld Place he went to the nearest animal shelter and adopted the only animal that he’d felt a connection with.

Harry considered writing to Draco many times over the year. He even wrote a number of letters, only to discard each one when he finished. As he read over each letter he thought about how Draco had disappeared without a word. He figured Draco didn’t _want_ to talk to him about it. So what was the point of writing? It would most likely be returned unopened or at least not answered.

As May approached Harry began to anxiously await an invitation to another Beltane bonfire. Wh it finally arrived, Harry rejoiced. He would keep a clear head this year and find Draco quickly. He’d spent a year waiting to see Draco again; to touch him; to kiss him. He wouldn’t let the opportunity be missed or forgotten. And he wouldn’t let Draco leave without figuring out what it all meant; why the Beltane magic thought they needed to be together.

He arrived as Luna was lighting the fire and slowly walked a wide circle around the clearing, all the while searching. It wasn’t long before the magic of the night could practically be felt. Revelers drank and danced, but Harry continued his circuit, always searching. People continued to arrive as others disappeared into the trees in pairs. And still Harry searched.

Just as Harry was about to give up he heard the soft pop of apparition and turned around to find himself only a few feet from, “Draco.” Green eyes met grey and they both stood transfixed.

In the distance a joyful shout rang out and Draco finally moved. He approached Harry and rested a hand on his chest. “Dance with me.”

Harry was unable to speak so he simply nodded. Draco let his hand fall, brushing down 

Harry’s stomach and then across his hip as he walked toward the bonfire. Harry followed in a daze and soon they were moving together once more. Harry was sure he could feel the magic of Beltane swell around them as they danced around the flames, moving as if they hadn’t been apart for so long.

Finally, as the fire died down to a low glow, they stopped dancing. With arms wrapped around each other they stood looking into each other’s eyes. Harry wanted to speak, needed to really, but he still couldn’t find the words. So he did the only think he could think of, he leaned in and kissed Draco.

Things began to blur again and Harry realized that it was the magic of Beltane and not firewhiskey that did it. The next thing he could remember was walking hand-in-hand with Draco through the trees. Then, sometime later, laying on the soft moss of the forest floor with Draco in his arms. And finally, the sun just starting to peek through the trees as Draco stood up quietly, seemingly to sneak off again.

Harry sat up quietly and watched as the other man silently gathered the last of his things. 

“You really are kind of an arsehole,” he said softly.

“I warned you,” Draco responded, not turning around. He slipped on his shoes and stepped away.

“Wait!” Harry practically shouted before Draco could take even two steps. Draco froze but still didn’t turn. “You can’t leave. Not yet.”

“Why not?” Draco’s voice lacked emotion and Harry wondered why.

“Shouldn’t we, I dunno, talk?”

Draco still refused to turn around, but at least he didn’t move farther away. “About what?’

Harry stood and moved a small step closer to Draco. “About last night.” Another step. “About last year.” He moved again, now just inches behind his lover. “About us.”

Draco was visibly tense and his voice quavered faintly. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Beltane certainly thinks there is.”

Draco shook his head very slightly. “I have to go.”

Harry frowned. “Why?”

“I have to go back to Russia.”

Harry put a hand on Draco’s shoulder and gently turned him. “Don’t go.”

Draco sighed. “I have to. I’m only halfway through my apprenticeship. If I don’t get back I’ll lose my spot. And this was my only chance.”

Harry considered him for a long moment. “Fine.” He leaned forward so that their lips brushed as he spoke. “But I’ll see you next Beltane, right?”

Draco didn’t respond but pressed forward for a long kiss. Harry’s eyes slid shut and when Draco eventually pulled away he didn’t open them. He listened as Draco walked a dozen or so steps away and then disapparated.

* * * *

The next year passed excruciatingly slowly for Harry. While he waited he decided to make some changes in his life. He cut back on the coffee, bought a whole new and rather stylish wardrobe, and introduced himself to new and exciting foods. He took Alcor on trips across the UK, never wanting to stray very far from home. He spent more time at the Ministry as well; finally using his influence as The Boy Who Lived Twice to make some much needed changes.

After the bonfire invitation arrived Harry found it increasingly difficult to keep calm. He spent more and more time each day pacing around his home and found sleeping exceedingly hard. Until, finally, it was time.

He arrived early and carefully searched the gathering revelers. As time passed he became more and more anxious, but he told himself that Draco _would_ be there. He _had_ to come. Each pop of apparition teased him until, at last, that familiar blond head emerged from the ring of trees.

Their eyes met once again and Harry made his way to him, as if he was a lion stalking his prey. He pulled Draco close and held him tightly. “You’re not going to run away this time, are you?”

Draco grinned. “Not unless you want me to.”

Harry chuckled. “No, I definitely do not want that.” He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Draco’s lips. “Now, let’s dance.”

Draco nodded once and led them closer to the bonfire. Harry couldn’t stop grinning. He knew that _this_ time everything would work out exactly how it was supposed to; exactly how Beltane wanted it to.


End file.
